One of my very favorite appliances! I love my power washer!
Have fun.

Let's see . . . carbon emissions? check. petroleum consumption? check. noise pollution? check. toxic runoff? check. high domestic water consumption? check. Couldn't you just use an old toothbrush?

Congratulations, Jack. One of the most useful power tools in my shed, too.

Weird wasn't working.

I had a marvelous Fathers Day when I was younger like Jack. Ok maybe 7 or 8 years ago. I got a John Deer LX279 w 48inch mower deck & blower/bagger.

One of the most enjoyable purchases I made back then was a very powerful back pack blower.

Still have them, used them yesterday.

Now Jack, I see in that photo the legs of your old Weber barbeque.

Drop some hints for getting a Traeger Wood Pellet Barbecue Grill.

Until my daughter's fiance brought one over here I had no idea how much better they are than anything else.

My gas grill will never be used again.

I am planning to run the Weber into the ground. At age 30, it looks as though it's got 10 more years to go. Just replaced the charcoal grate and rails, and now I guess I'll power wash the whole thing inside and out.

I may also try to power wash the cats as a flea treatment.

I've seen the Traeger in action, and it's wonderful, and that will likely be the next grill, should I outlast the Weber. I almost won one at a Portland Beavers game a few years back.

Gas? Meh.

Careful as you go there Jack as what you are doing is peeling the hardened surface from the concrete, thus leaving a softer and more porous surface that will tend to collect soils or easily. Tilt!

Continued use will have you looking at gravel.

You'll need more horsepower than that to knock the smirk off of Randy's face.

Continued use will have you looking at gravel.

Damn the torpedoes -- once a decade, whether it needs it or not!

Is there something we could apply to it after it's cleaned, to toughen it up?

And Mojo, Randy's not smirking these days. He looks pretty unhappy.

"Is there something we could apply to it after it's cleaned, to toughen it up?"

Nothing that I know of that is long term successful, but a call to a masonry supply biz might help.

Also be careful with Cedar Roof Shingles as a pressure washer will deliver a new look but also expose fresh wood fiber to the dry-rot gods and thus shorten the life span.

Just as in politics, appearances are often deceiving.

Is there something we could apply to it after it's cleaned, to toughen it up?

Go to Mason's supply and get a 5 gallon bucket of water based acrylic.

I've used it on few customer's pations and pool decks.

It's relatively cheap, goes along way with coverage, fool proof for roller applying, has only a suttle sheen, makes sweeping/cleaning much easier, slows the return of the algae stuff you just power washed off.

http://masco.net/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=444&Itemid=62#lusterseal

"It offers outstanding resistance to dirt and attack by air pollutants."

All good advice, Jack; especially watch out for the cedar siding and shingles.
Mason's supply...an excellent place.

Powerwashers are awesome,I do my concrete every year.I even powerwash the rocks that are in my parking strip. Keeps em looking nice and clean but the neighbors think I'm nuts...

Good grief, Abe, what a Killjoy. And Mr. B, will be for rent?

Careful, those damn things are habit forming. You could eat off of the sidewalks, stone walks, driveway and paving on and surrounding our home.

Wise move to break up powerwashing projects. I used mine for six hrs the weekend I bought it. Barely got out of bed on monday.

Abe is corect.
Concrete should not be powerwashed. It will shorten its life and it wll get mossy and dirty more quickly after. A dilute solution of bleach tsp and water will do a much better job without the damage